Structure 3968 · Buchanan County, VA

Contrary Creek Rd. over Dismal River

Carries Contrary Creek Rd. over Dismal River, 1.80 Fr 629 - 0.0 To 638.

Overall conditionFair

Set by its lowest-rated component: Substructure at 5 of 9.

How ratings work
Deck6/9 · Satisfactory
Superstructure7/9 · Good
Substructuresets the rating5/9 · Fair
Channelnot part of overall5/9 · Fair
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
CAR · 15 FT101 FT OVERALL25 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 7/9Substructure 5/9 · sets the rating

101 ft end to end, longest span 50 ft. Lengths and the car on the deck are drawn to the same scale. Each part is colored by its latest inspection rating. The inventory records lengths but not heights or the layout of the shorter spans, so those are drawn as typical for a multi-beam bridge.

Built1961rebuilt 2009
Length101.0 ft30.8 m
Daily traffic2,429counted 2022
Last inspectedJune 2023every 24 months

Location

StateVirginia
CountyBuchanan
Location1.80 Fr 629 - 0.0 To 638
CarriesContrary Creek Rd.
CrossesDismal River
Coordinates37.23864, -81.91259

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length101.0 ft (30.8 m)
Max Span49.9 ft (15.2 m)
Deck Width28.9 ft (8.8 m)
Deck Area271.0 sq m
Main Spans2
Year Built1961 (reconstructed 2009)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic2,429 (2022)
Truck Traffic1%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionJune 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical5 — Stable for scour
Structure Number000000000003968

How Bridge Ratings Work

Inspectors rate each major part of a bridge (the deck you drive on, the superstructure of beams that holds it up, and the substructure of piers and abutments beneath) on a 0–9 scale. A bridge's overall condition is its lowest of those ratings, so one deteriorated component makes the whole bridge "poor."

0Failed
1Imminent failure
2Critical
3Serious
4Poor
5Fair
6Satisfactory
7Good
8Very good
9Excellent
Good · lowest component 7–9
Fair · lowest component 5–6
Poor · lowest component 0–4

A poor rating is not a closure. It means the bridge is flagged for priority repair or replacement; bridges judged unsafe are closed or posted with weight limits. The waterway (channel) rating is reported, but it does not count toward the overall classification.

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